Shawn Boonstra describes the character and personality of the scientist and poses questions about his theories, such as, "Could you find the secret of Einstein’s genius just in the physical structure of his brain?"

Dr. Francis Collins was head of the Human Genome Project and is now the head of the National Institutes of Health. He holds enormous respect for the scope and complexity of the language embedded into the genetic structures of the human species (DNA) designed by a loving Creator. At the same time, because he believes God is not limited by time or space, he accepts the seemingly irrefutable discoveries in science of an old earth and considers Genesis 1 & 2 as allegory rather than historical narrative. He has a strong desire to bring harmony to the controversy between scientists and those of faith.

While public education teaches evolutionary theory and many religious groups entertain it, individuals in the U.S. are divided over its credibility: about 38% of adults believe in the long (millions of years) evolvement of human development with the guidance of God, about 13% believe in evolution without God, and slightly less than 1/2 believe God created beings in their present form at one time less than 10,000 years ago (p. 147).

"Evolution, as a mechanism, can be and must be true. But that says nothing about the nature of its author. For those who believe in God, there are reasons now to be more in awe, not less." (p. 107). Collins describes the wonderful characteristics of the human biology through the lens of his study of genetic structure in a compelling manner.

1. Excerpts from “The Language of God” by Francis Collins [Purchase the book for $9.99 as a Kindle book for your PC at the Kindle Store on www.amazon.com ]

Dr. Darrel Falk is professor of biology at Point Loma Nazarene University in California.
"Fundamental to the thesis of this book is my belief that the chasm has been created, in part, by the particular metaphor that has been chosen for the activity of the Creator. We have been forcing the Creator of the universe into a box limited by human experience. The problem with the design metaphor--which comes from the world of faith--is that it implies that the evidence for design and the rules it follows will be decipherable using the tools of the other world--that of science and engineering. Most scientists, however, see no evidence for a set of design rules." (p. 14)

While he professes His devout faith in God and the plan of salvation, he entertains the idea that the Bible was not meant to be a scientific account and that the Creation story may be more poetry than literal description. He raises the question: "What if this data (scientific discoveries) is God's data, revealed to us through the medium of scientific investigation?" (p.36) While God's Word does not supply specific details, His world does through fossils.

He focuses on Who was present at Creation--the same individual who wants to be present in our lives--and the resurrection significance, the importance of creating a "garden of eden" by the tree of life through our walk with Christ, and by extension, relating to the needs of others in this world who are suffering as a result of sin.

"There is no message on earth more important than the creation story (when told in its completeness). Hence we had better be certain that we have it right or, at the very least, that we are not significantly distorting it." (p. 60)

2. Excerpts from “Coming to Peace with Science” by Darrel Falk [Purchase the book for $9.99 as a Kindle book for your PC at the Kindle Store on www.amazon.com ]

A Thicket of Lies for the Christian

If Seventh-day Adventist Christians accept the theory and teachings of evolution, or theistic evolution, the following fundamental beliefs are compromised or rendered null:
1. The nature of Scripture (the Bible)
2. The nature of God, because a loving God would not plan life for His creatures to experience predation, parasitism, and death leading up to the idyllic Eden and the perfect Adam and Eve.
3. The nature of mankind, who would have evolved from our Simian "brothers" to humans in the image of God.
4. The nature of the Law, especially the command to honor the Creator by observing His Sabbath, the 7th day of Creation, and worshipping and fellowshipping with Him on that day.
5. The nature of sin and death would be altered so that death would precede sin (refer to #2), acknowledging that millions of creatures before Eden would die before sin entered the world through Satan. Romans 6:23 puts the order in reverse.
6. The nature of salvation. Evolution denies the necessity of Jesus' death on the cross. Why should He die if death for any of God's creatures is part of the cosmic scheme?
7. The nature of the words and works of Jesus, who refers to the Old Testament writings and affirms the Genesis account of Creation in Matthew 19:4.
8. The nature of the Seventh-day Adventist church and its mission.
9. The nature of Ellen White's ministry and writings.
10. The nature of our end-time perspective (See Revelation 14:6-12).

Finally, the whole body of Christian beliefs would have to be rejected.
Two major reasons to refute evolutionary theory is based on a tenet of the Reformation: sola scriptura.We believe in the fidelity of the Bible; in it Jesus affirms the historicity of the Genesis account, as do other New Testament writers.

[Source: David Asscherick of ARISE Institute at the Generation Youth Congress in Louisville, KY, January, 2010, referencing the teachings of Dr. Fernando Canale of Andrews University.]]

Thoughts to Ponder . . .

If one believes in good vs. evil and the presence of Satan, what influence has Satan exerted on
the progression of the human existence, on the development of the animal kingdom,
and on the integrity of the environment?
The admission of the results of sin--man's irresponsible acts, nature's disasters as a result of them,
and broken human relationships--have not entered into the discussion of the origins of life among
evolutionists.
Science or Creationism -- does one have to make a choice?
Why is there disharmony between the two?
Has man taken on a task he is not equipped to accomplish? If one believes God imparted an incredible brain
with which to investigate the most profound questions on earth, then why do the "evidences" of evolution disagree with the literal understanding of God's Word?